This was fantastic. It's perfect for F1 fans. I read it in one sitting and found this author to be a new favourite of mine. I would definitely recommend giving this author a try!

After the death of her sister, Shantal gets the professional opportunity of a lifetime and moves to Rio to work as a programmer on an F1 racing simulator. She meets F1 driver Darien, and sparks fly instantly. Over the course of the season, they fall in love, while also supporting each other through the grieving process.

Here's the thing. If this book had been a cricket romance (or any other sport I know nothing about), I probably would've rated it 4 stars without thinking twice about it. The love story is cute, I liked the characters, and I appreciated the way in which the author described the main characters' grief. Unfortunately, I'm a massive F1 fan and spent a lot of the book infuriated by that side of things. I'm splitting the difference and rating it 3 stars. As long as you're just here for the 'romance' part of 'F1 romance', I can wholeheartedly recommend it.

I could not get into this book, despite trying repeatedly. It was very background heavy right at the start, and the writing didn't manage to make me enjoy that part or to care about the characters, which led to me DNFing it. I may try again in the future, once I've had a long enough break, so I can come back to it with a fresh state of mjnd. But for now I'm done. I haven't rated it on goodreads, because I don't think a rating for a DNF is fair.

This is the first F1 romance I've ever read, and although I do generally love a good sports romance, I didn't expect the stakes to feel so high!

Shantal is a sports-simulation programmer, and while still grieving the loss of her sister, she is given an important role at work: go to Brazil and test her racing simulation on an up and coming F1 team. It's a big deal, there's a lot of money on the line, and she is determined to succeed. Darien is an F1 driver at the top of his game, and he's been given the opportunity to move back to his home city in Brazil to trial a new racing simulator. Despite the pressure from sponsors to rank on the podium in every race, he mainly just wants to race in a way that honours the father he lost too young. Despite initially getting off on the wrong foot, Shantal and Darien quickly realise that they understand each other in a way that no-one else ever has, but they cannot afford distractions. And there's the small matter of a promise Shantal made to her parents...

Patel spent a really nice amount of time at the start letting us get to know the characters individually before they meet each other. This meant that as the story progressed I really understood and believed their reactions to what was going on, particularly Shantal's. After a slower start, following the F1 season gave the book a really fast pace that just didn't stop until the final pages. Some of the races had me feeling sick because the stakes in a race are so high, and while I didn't love the way Shantal and Darien met or the conflict between them following it, this did not pan out in the way that I feared it would and seeing both characters battle their fears had me all in my feelings. I will happily admit the epilogue had me shedding a few tears.

I loved Shantal most of all. She is basically clueless about F1 which is great because it means you don't need to know anything as a reader either. She is fantastic at her job, at football (soccer for my American friends) and really, really smart. She doesn't compromise on this & when faced with male characters who look down on her, she shows them up, which I thought was super classy & hot. I saw the author describe her as 'silent rebellion' on Instagram and I love and agree with this description 100%. Shantal is Indo-Guyanese and I really loved getting to see some of her Hindu culture, something I have not read before in this genre. Her journey really warmed my heart.

Darien is a golden retriever with a good heart, a great driver, and an all round good time, but he is also fighting his own battles and seeing his journey warmed my heart too.

There is a small amount of spice in this book that for me was intimate & balanced well with the plot.

If you're a fan of F1 romance, I'm confident you'll love this addition to the genre, and if (like me) you've never read one before I highly recommend Overdrive as a great starting place.

Thank you Netgalley & Avon Books UK for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

a super fun & flirty f1 romance. can’t get enough of grump x sunshine romances and this one is just another to add to the list

4.5 ⭐️
I’ve never any of the authors books or f1 related romances before so I wasn’t sure what I’d think but I’m happy I read this. It was enjoyable, flirty, fun and very recommendable for others ☺️

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this!

Overdrive

3 🌟

The book at a glance:
🏁 F1 Romance
🏎️ Grumpy x Sunshine
🏁 Found Family
🏎️ Dual POV
🏁 Multicultural backgrounds

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advance reader’s copy.

While I could identify with Shantal’s pain and grief, I found it incredibly difficult to care about the main characters. Something about them just didn’t click for me, they felt very superficial despite the heavy backgrounds of both characters. Some of the side characters’ actions and descriptions also felt incomplete (ex: Raya). I was expecting a smaller arc with the way things were described but nothing ever came up.

I appreciated that the author went into detail about Formula 1 racing, which a lot of sports romances lack. Unfortunately, that wasn’t enough to make up for the montage-like nature of the book. The characters seemed like they were in lust and never quite in love. That transition seemed to happen with the snap of a finger and felt very abrupt.

There were sweet, funny, and moving moments throughout the book, but the pacing felt off. The third act breakup felt very forced and unnecessary, not all romances need to follow the same formula (pardon the pun). The epilogue was very hasty and I hope the final copy offers more detail.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read but I had to force myself to finish the book.

the funniest, flirtiest f1 romance ive read. shanni and darien are absolutely made for eachother, and their relationship is so honest, raw and open. this was perfectly spicy, sweet and emotional. esha handled grief with such care, it was heartbreaking to read about sonias story. the plot was intriguing and im interested to see what’s next

Overdrive follows Shantal, a determined woman who believes success is everything. When she receives an opportunity to move from London to Brazil to test a racing simulator with top Formula One drivers, she seizes it, leaving her old life behind in pursuit of her career.

Darien, a passionate Formula One driver, is equally committed to his craft. When his team requests he relocate to Brazil for the simulator trials, he jumps at the chance, drawn not only by the opportunity but also by his love for his homeland.

When Shantal and Darien cross paths, sparks fly—both on and off the track. Darien finds himself captivated by Shantal, and she can’t resist the charm of the talented driver. However, in the high-stakes world of Formula One, romance takes a back seat to the demands of their careers.

The slow-burn romance between Shantal and Darien feels authentic, with their personal lives significantly impacting their relationship and future together. The conclusion is satisfying, leaving readers with a warm feeling after finishing the epilogue. This book beautifully captures the complexities of ambition and love within the thrilling backdrop of motorsport.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

Thankyou NetGalley for this arc!!

This was a slow burn full of emotions and was such a good read!! I don’t usually enjoy slow burns much but it was still a fun read for me!

I also loved how the culture was represented through the book & how it was shared with the FMC

I definitely had to put aside my love for F1 to try and give a fair review and Ooo I love the dynamic between the grumpy//sunshine mcs this book was such an easy read and honestly was one of the best F1 type books I’ve read!

This was an easy, delivers what it promises sports romance.

It's a grumpy/ sunshine energy slow burn workplace romance that delivered on all the tropes as planned in really well structured way so it didn't feel overdone or twee.

It's the second in the series but can easily be read as a standalone and I liked each member of the couple. The only problem was that I wasn't sure they were right for each other. It felt like an easy, bright story of a couple who would have a great time together but probably aren't soulmates.

I would love to read more from Esha Patel and it was definitely well written but just not perfect for me.

I wasn't too sure if I was going to enjoy this not being a fan of F1 however it was a great story and far better than I was expecting!

Overdrive offers a unique blend of romance and Formula 1, a refreshing take on the genre. The cultural representation is a standout, woven into the narrative with respect and honesty. It's a much-needed addition to the romance landscape.

Unfortunately, the writing feels a bit rough around the edges. The characters could have benefited from a little more chemistry.

While the F1 elements are well-integrated, the author's enthusiasm for the sport is evident, but a deeper exploration of the challenges faced by women in the industry could have added a layer of realism and authenticity.

Overall, Overdrive is a promising start with a strong foundation. With a bit more refinement and depth, it could evolve into a truly exceptional romance novel.

This book had a great plot with intriguing characters. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author.

Slow burn f1 romance which pays off if you know about f1 to start with. As a massive f1 fan I was able to navigate the start of this book well. However if you are new to f1 it would be very confusing for a long portion of the book. Overall it is a nice romance and I enjoyed the book.

"But it's always gonna be your right to love, as much as it is anyone else's"

Everything about this book is just so good.

Overdrive by Esha Patel is a dual POV romance that focuses on Darien and Shantal. There is one thing that Darien is sure about in life, and that is racing is his life. It's his reason for living and breathing. The one thing that he loves more than racing? Brazil, his home. When he's given the opportunity to test out a new racing sim and track there, he knows failure is not an option. Enter Shantal, she knows that success is everything, and having her racing sim being in a new training facility in Brazil is something she knows has to go right. Leaving her life behind in London is the only option. When they meet, Shantal is guarded, and Darien want to do anything to bring those walls down, but is he ready to discover why Shantal guards her heart so closely? And more importantly, can he let it get in the way of winning the World Drivers Championship?

I want tot start this by saying that this may be the most highlighted book I've ever had on my kindle. I loved Offtrack, but wow, this book is something else.

Shantal is simply one of my favourite female characters. There's such strength in her grief and the decision to leave her life behind to travel into the unknown whilst she's struggling with that grief is something that I could only dream of doing. Having her have such a big heart, but keeping it very guarded is so interesting, because you really get to see when she lets her guard down the kind of person she is. I loved seeing her through Darien's eyes, because it feels like he saw her differently than the way she saw herself. I love the gradual change in her from feeling as though she is undeserving of the chance to go to Brazil, to being there and only caring about getting the job done, and then to caring for the job, the sport and the people. It was so gradual that I didn't fully understand it until she was back with her family, and honestly it was so interesting and fun to read. Her grief felt so raw, and it was somehting that felt so personal and so relatable at the same time, the complicated feelings that come with grief being explained in a way that had tears in my eyes just made me feel so represented and seen. My only issue with Shantal is the football team she supports, (as a Tottenham Hotspurs fan), just daggers to my chest.

Darien though. I love the way he's able to be cheeky and immature, whilst still understanding the weight of the position he holds as a Formula 1 driver. It's one of those things you don't really think about until something big happens on the track, but its a sport where the drivers have to be hyper aware and locked in, and personally I loved the difference between Darien on the track and Darien off the track. It really highlighted the dangers of Formula 1 to me. Him being so gone for Shantal as well had me absolutely melting. Even before anything happened between them, him being so persistent with her being appreciated and getting her flowers was just the sweetest thing.

I loved that it really was a slow burn book. Shantal being able to recognise her guard coming down then knowing she isn't ready and putting it back up again is so relatable, and I found it interesting that it was never a case of oh we've shared this moment know everything has changed and they both had to work to get to the stage where they were bale to let their guards down and let the other in. Him being very, 'I'm pulling out all the stops in prayer that she'll say yes.' and her being 'What would it feel like to be touched by such strong, beautiful hands' was just such a interesting dynamic to see them fall so slowly and then be so for each other that it made me feel giddy.

One thing I couldn't get over in this book was how dreamy the writing was. The descriptions of Brazil and the way they were feeling about each other was just so enchanting. It made it so much more immersive and it just made the whole experience of reading more enjoyable. I kept getting caught up in the descriptions, and whilst sometimes I'm not a fan of pages of description, in this I would have loved more, I genuinely can't describe how perfect it was, but it really made me want to visit Brazil and see it through this perspective. The care in writing about Shantal's culture as well was something that was so fascinating to me. To see the dynamic between her family and when she brings Darien to the temple with her, and the description of it was simply beautiful.

The high stakes aspects in this book as well, were done so well that there times where I could forget what was on the line, then when reminded made all the races more interesting to read. I loved the balance between the racing and the time between races, just everything about it. I could continue gushing about this book, but everything about it was a firm favourite to me. Such an easy 5 stars for me.

ARC provided by Avon Books UK through NetGalley, thank you for the opportunity to read this early copy, all thoughts are my own.

I want to start by saying thank you so much for allowing me to read this as an arc!! Omg, Esha you have me hooked!! You can just tell how much time and effort the author put into this book! As a massive Formula 1 fan, I adored this and how deeply the emotions and feelings Darien and Shantel had for eachother and how amazingly the sport was described!

It was obvious from the start that they were meant to be together with Dariens new season is just around the corner and Shantel working the technology side of things, the suspense is SUSPENSING!! The close proximity and the pressure of the upcoming season, it made the friends to lovers!

I normally can’t stand slow burns but I could NOT put this book down, I loved the characters, their personalities, how they bonded and how their heartbreaking background drew them closer and they found their other half♥️

I want to say a massive thank you for this arc again, Net Galley!

A whirl around a formula 1 season watching the relationship between Darrien and Shantea progress. They both have had a hard upbringing and experienced loss and this slowly allows them to bond and to get closer. The book gives the action of being around the race track and the different races of a season, it also looks into injury and family choices which impact on both Darrien, Shantal and their relationship. This is a solid read but seemed to plod a bit for me.

A cute romance story with a few too many racing situations so the beginning felt a bit muddled for me. Was able to get into it. I like the front cover and the title.